EUPPNES: Patient experiences of treatment with esketamine nasal spray

Nasal esketamine treatment (ESK) is administered as a nasal spray for patients with treatment-resistant depression. The purpose of the study is to explore, among other things, the patients’ recovery process and experience during treatment, as well as practical experiences from contact with staff and the clinic.

Major depressive disorder is a prevalent psychiatric condition, and a leading cause of disability worldwide with many patients lacking effect of available treatments. Nasal esketamine treatment is approved in Europe since 2019 for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Few studies, however, have explored the experiences of patients in conjunction with this treatment.

The overall aim of this research project is to improve the understanding of the experiences of patients associated with receiving nasal esketamine, a resource-intensive anti-depressive medical treatment for depression at the premises of an out-patient psychiatric clinic. Three themes are explored: the recovery process with aspects on quality of life and function; the experience during the treatment; and the practical experiences of meeting the healthcare organisation, staff and clinic.